Generally, electric connection of coaxial cables to be routed through electric or other equipment to be mounted inside an automobile is obtained by attaching a coaxial connector at a top end of the coaxial wire, housing the coaxial connector in a connector housing, and coupling the connector housing to a counterpart coaxial connector.
The connector housing includes an attaching portion (cavity) for the coaxial connector, and a locking piece provided to the attaching portion (cavity). The locking piece enables the coaxial connector to be attached thereto removably. The coaxial connector is inserted into and slid in the connector housing so as to be attached to the connector housing.
In response to higher frequency and speed of electric signals which are transmitted to the electric or other equipment mounted inside the automobile in these years, a cross-sectional shape of the coaxial connector is arranged to be a circular shape the same as a cross-sectional shape of the coaxial cables so as not to vary a coaxial structure of the coaxial cables as much as possible.
In such a case, the coaxial connector can be turned in 360 degrees when inserted into the connector housing, therefore, required especially is a stabilizer arranged to determine an orientation to insert the coaxial connector into the connector housing (i.e., to control an insertion orientation).
FIGS. 11A and 11B show a structure of a conventional coaxial connector (see Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 2000-188157). An outer conductor terminal 72 of a coaxial connector 70 is a member prepared by die-cutting a plate material or other materials and forming the die-cut material into a cylindrical shape or other shapes. The outer conductor terminal 72 is configured to include an opening portion 74 arranged to lock a locking piece of a connector housing, stabilizers 76 arranged to determine (control) an insertion orientation of the coaxial connector 70 into the connector housing, a juncture (fitting portion) 78 at butted edges of the material, spring pieces 80 arranged to apply contact load to the outer conductor terminal 72 and a counterpart outer conductor terminal during their connection so as to secure electric connection therebetween, and a protective portion 82 arranged to cover top edges of the spring pieces 80 so that the spring pieces 80 may not be broken by colliding against foreign substances. The stabilizers 76 are, for example, formed by cutting and erecting a peripheral surface at a main section of the outer conductor terminal 72.